The present invention relates to a roll-out apparatus for corrugating rollers of a corrugation device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a roll-out apparatus for corrugating rollers used in single facers that produce single-faced corrugated fiberboard. A liner is adhered to a corrugated core paper passed between a pair of corrugating rollers, each having corrugations formed on their outer perimeter surface.
A conventional single facer creates single-faced corrugated cardboard in which a liner is adhered at the peaks of the waveform pattern formed on a corrugated core paper. A first corrugating roller and a second corrugating roller have waveform corrugations on their outer perimeter surfaces. The corrugating rollers are vertically rotatably disposed such that the corrugations mesh with each other. A press roller presses against the second roller. The core paper and the liner are interposed between the second roller and the press roller. The core paper is fed between the first corrugating roller and the second corrugating roller to form flutes in a prescribed manner. A starch-based adhesive is applied to the peaks of the waveform pattern by an adhesive application roller disposed on an adhesive application mechanism. A liner is fed to the opposite side of the core paper via a press roller. This liner is interposed between the press roller and the second corrugating roller so that it is pressed against the peaks of the core paper, thus forming a single-face corrugated fiberboard.
In the conventional single facer described above, the corrugating roller must be replaced periodically due to wear on the waveform flutes over time. Also, the corrugating rollers are replaced with corrugating rollers having different types of waveform flutes when an order is placed for different types of single-face corrugated fiberboard. Due to restrictions imposed by the mechanisms of the device, replacing the corrugating rollers is extremely complicated and time-consuming when performed within the device. Thus, structures where the corrugating rollers are pulled out from the main device unit using a roll-out apparatus have been proposed to allow the corrugating rollers to be replaced outside the device.
In the conventional roll-out apparatus described above, the corrugating rollers are disposed inside the main device unit, which includes various preheaters, adhesive application mechanisms, and the like. The movable sections of the corrugating rollers are connected to a carriage that moves the rollers in and out of the main unit. A frame projects from the carriage and the two corrugating rollers are rotatably disposed on this frame to form a modular unit. To replace the corrugating rollers, the rollers are brought out from the device by pulling out the carriage. This makes it possible to replace the corrugating rollers in a short period of time outside of the device so that the other mechanisms do not obstruct the process. After replacing the corrugating rollers, the carriage is moved back into its operational position to restore the corrugating rollers back inside the device.
When installing the conventional single facer described above in a plant, the single facer is unable to be directly installed on the plant floor because vibrations and the like prevent the accurate operation of the device. Moreover, installing the device level is made difficult. For this reason, a machine base is generally installed on the floor of the plant. The single facer is then installed on this machine base. Since this results in a prescribed offset between the plant floor and the machine base, it is difficult to implement a roll-out apparatus as described above wherein a movable carriage is disposed to allow replacement of corrugating rollers. The use of a carriage requires the upper surface of the base of a machine to be at the same level as the floor of the plant. Major construction work would be required to modify the floor, thus increasing the costs involved in installing the single facer. Another major difficulty that has been discovered is that when the single facer itself is to be replaced, more construction is required on the floor of the plant if the specifications of the new single facer are different from the single facer being replaced.
An air-floatation method has been proposed where high-pressure air is blown up from a bottom surface of the unit containing the corrugating rollers. The force of the high-pressure air makes the unit movable. With this method, the unit can be moved even if there is an offset. This air-floatation method, however, requires accessory equipment such as a high-pressure air source, making the device larger and increasing production costs.